


weatheria

by jeanheir



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bermuda Triangle, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25615117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeanheir/pseuds/jeanheir
Summary: Chenle isn’t sure of how long it’s been, but he soon finds himself sailing comfortably against the water, the sea calm at last. It’s still a little quiet, but he rationalises that with the idea that the birds were still sheltering from the storm. With that in mind, he busies himself with tidying up his belongings, his satchels scattered across the floor of his cabin in a disorganised mess. Shaking his head, he reaches down to grab his compass, blood running cold once he turns it around to see the coordinates.
Relationships: Huang Renjun/Zhong Chenle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32
Collections: Foreign NCT 1





	weatheria

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to sara for betaing this fic, and to the mods for organising the fest and putting up with my late submission <3

Drifting alone at sea, water passively pushing against his ship, this is the last place Chenle thought he’d find himself in. 

His sloop, nicknamed Fei by the manufacturer, is barely holding herself together, the rough storms of yesterday’s weather too much for her frame, no matter how hard she fought against the ocean’s currents. He’d gotten her for a good price, 1,300 bells, and even though her rooms were pretty haggard when he’d first set out, they gradually became a detail that Chenle found himself appreciating. They made him remember where he came from, the warm land of Cantis. 

Chenle bites his bottom lip, frowning at the yellowed parchment paper in his hands. The map had been passed down through his family for many generations, left behind by his great-great-great grandfather, a well-known pirate in his days. It was unclear which treasure lay in the spot marked with a red cross, but it had become a family tradition to search for it. 

His uncle Luhan, a father figure who had taught Chenle everything he knew, had warned him of venturing out on such a quest, the fear of the unknown too dangerous for such an inexperienced sailor like himself. 

Truthfully, Chenle wasn’t too keen on the idea, but as the healthiest of his family, he was the only one with the ability to carry out the journey, even if the results turned out to be fruitless in the end. That being said, the pressure stacked against him was a little too large. 

Seagulls fly overhead, the smell of rain thickening as time passes. He sighs, cursing his luck and retreating back to the cabin. It was unsafe to remain on deck with such strong currents and he didn’t want to risk falling overboard. His family was depending on him. 

Inside, he draws the room’s grey curtains open, watching as the first droplets of rain propel themselves against the glass. The ship wobbles from a particularly forceful wave, and he sincerely thanks the heavens for not granting him motion sickness. 

The cabin takes up less than half of the ship, sails occasionally hitting against the walls as the winds force them this way and that.

The lamp hanging by his door dances frantically at the Chenle praying to his ancestors that it doesn’t break in the process. They were expensive, especially the oil ones, and he didn’t really have the funds to replace them. There isn’t much he can do now, so Chenle sits down on his bed and waits for the storm to be over.

In the meantime he decides to study his map for the nth time that day, the stained parchment proving to be just as confusing as ever. He frowns, mind drawing more blanks the longer he scrutinises it. His ancestor really didn’t want to give his descendants a good time, it seemed. From stories passed down through his family he’d heard that Zhong Fang was a man who strictly believed in hard work and triumph, but even then, couldn’t the man give them a break?

A bang of thunder interrupts his thoughts and he jumps, knocking his head against the cabin walls in his surprise. Perhaps it was a sign that Old Fang was really watching over him and that he didn’t appreciate how lazy the Zhong family had gotten over the last few years.

Chenle isn’t sure of how long it’s been, but he soon finds himself sailing comfortably against the water, the sea calm at last. It’s still a little quiet, but he rationalises that with the idea that the birds were still sheltering from the storm. With that in mind, he busies himself with tidying up his belongings, his satchels scattered across the floor of his cabin in a disorganised mess. Shaking his head, he reaches down to grab his compass, blood running cold once he turns it around to see the coordinates. 

The two needles are stock still, as if they’re frozen in time. He shakes the compass frantically, not wanting to believe the sight before him. Never in his life had he seen one that didn’t move even the slightest bit. When he finally pauses his abrupt movements to think, it’s then that he realises that his own breathing is louder than usual.

Chenle forces the cabin door open without sparing another second, needing some fresh air to calm his growing nerves. He hardly hears the creak it mumbles under the sound of his own heartbeat. The sky stills, not a single cloud in sight. With how wide and vast the sea around him is, it should be impossible to remain as idle as it appears now, and yet not a single bird or wave interrupts the soundless ocean. The sense of fear slithering up his spine becomes more frequent, pure panic setting in at last. 

He’s not sure how he does it but he manages to control his breathing, sprawled out on deck with his fingers drumming erratically against the wooden floor. He finally understands what Uncle Luhan had warned him about, racking his brain to come up with one of his myths that always had a sense of truth to them. While the others in the family brushed off Luhan’s stories as drunk rambling, there was a peculiar glint in his eyes that Chenle recognised as serious, despite his calls for booze as he got in the mood to tell a tale. 

Of the many that he’d grown up on, there were three that left permanent impressions on Chenle. The story of the mountain goddess Yixian, a woman who could turn man’s greatest wishes into reality, the stone dragon Qiubai, a beast so powerful people cowered in fear at the sound of its very name, and finally, the water bearer Huang, the reason why water owned the earth’s deepest corners. Or so Uncle Luhan says anyway. Even though Huang’s tale had more than its fair share of disbelievers – Chenle included – he couldn’t help but wish for its truthfulness.

Out of nowhere, he feels the ship bump against something, eyes darting around to see what could have caused it. The only thing to greet him is the slow ripples of the water.

In the time that it takes Chenle to fully regain his nerves, he eventually spots an outline of an island in the distance, hardly believing his own eyes. He rushes to readjust the sails and spins the helm, keeping a strict eye on the land before him. He’s spent too long dejectedly staring off into space when there had been hope lying right before his very eyes.

Once the ship is sailing in the right direction Chenle climbs onto the top of his cabin, wildly waving his hands at the island nonstop, ignoring the aching feeling growing in his arms in his desperation. He wasn’t meant for sea but that didn’t mean he’d stop trying to survive once the tides worked against him, especially when he was so close to the shore.

As soon as the ship’s keel touches upon solid ground he jumps off the boat and runs to the center of the island, as far as his lungs can take him. The sand slows his speed but Chenle doesn’t stop until he’s under the dark shadow of a group of trees, the effects of malnutrition finally wearing in. 

His chest hits the ground with a soft thud, his eyes struggling to stay open as a sudden force knocks him out cold.

When he wakes up something damp is being rubbed against his face. A strong herb-like scent overpowering his senses and making his head throb. It’s unlike anything he’s smelt before and it sends his head hurling, similar to how someone would react to a particularly powerful poison. He really hopes it’s not poison. 

It appears that he’s been moved to another location, a large tree shadowing him from the sun. When Chenle moves his head to see who’s saved him he’s met with no one, the area around him void of any other being. It’s not entirely impossible that he’d imagined the whole thing, he’s heard more than enough stories of how desperate sailors chased after paradise-like oasis’, only to find out that their poor minds had been playing tricks on them the entire time, but he doesn’t believe that that’s the case. 

As Chenle raises his hand to soothe his forehead, it brushes against a wooden bowl and knocks the contents over. He hurries to salvage it only to find grains of sand flowing out of it. The bowl is wide and flat, the work of an experienced craftsman, but that isn’t what catches his attention. The bowl is as dry as a desert, no sign of the strong-smelling substance anywhere.

He debates staying beneath the trees for a while longer, opting out of it once the sky begins to darken into a cloudy teal. He needs to return back to his ship, never mind finding anyone else at the moment. It was his only chance at getting off the island and he’d be damned if it got damaged in any kind of way. 

The walk back seems long, at least longer than it should be anyway. Chenle can clearly see the coastline, shallow waves rippling against the golden sand, but it doesn’t seem like he’s getting any closer.

If Chenle listens hard enough he can hear the drum of his heart against his ribcage, the beat carrying on at a steady pace. Chenle turns his head back to take a glimpse of the nature behind him, frowning when he sees that he’s barely moved three meters. Caution crawls up his spine and he doesn’t stop walking until a presence forms behind him. It appears to be a young boy, his head tilted in curiosity.

His eyes widen. “A human?” Where you would expect to see childlike innocence in his eyes is the flicker of an emotion Chenle can’t name. It felt as though the boy could see right through him. “Where did you come from? How did you get here?”

It seems as though the world stops after he says that sentence, the crashing of the waves muted as the boy looks up at him. It’s not the suffocating sort, Chenle doesn’t think the other has any dangerous intent towards him, but the type that nullifies his senses and blurs the world around him. It’s strange. 

“I...” Chenle begins, his blank mind bringing him nothing. As far as he knew, the ocean’s currents had led him to this mysterious island. He knows that there’s reason to believe that some sort of force is forbidding him from leaving, but he can’t fathom why. “I’m from Cantis, it’s an island northeast from here.” The smaller boy frowns but says nothing. “I was following my map and I ended up here somehow, even though it doesn’t seem to be charted. I don’t know what it is but it seems like I can’t reach the shore, you know why?” 

“It’s unfortunate that fate brought you here, but there’s nothing I can do.” The boy replies, eyes cloudy. His eyes sweep over Chenle one last time before he disappears abruptly and without warning, into nothingness as if he was never there the entire time. The world around Chenle unpauses, the waves crash loud against his ears. The surrealness of it all finally dims on him and once he mulls over the interaction in his head, walking back into the forest in a daze. He follows a trail of mountain rocks that take him deeper and deeper within the woods, sun flitting through the leaves and highlighting a path for him.

A few hours pass, at least he thinks that’s how long it’s been anyway. It’s difficult to tell, the sky as bright as the early morning even though he’d started sailing way after noon. It seemed as though the island had no concept of time itself, because the sky should have darkened by now.

In the time that Chenle spent exploring the island himself, he had become more used to the idea that the nature living on it seemed far less daunting now that his attempts at escape had been nullified, for the time being anyway. The island itself isn’t as big as he had previously thought, so it doesn’t take him a long time to walk around its perimeter.

He’s not in any danger, that much is clear. It doesn’t dissolve the suspicion Chenle holds deep in his chest as he further explores it, but it does make him feel a little safer.

The boy who had visited him earlier doesn’t appear before him again and Chenle busies himself with forming a camp near the shore, gathering firewood and edible looking berries and stashing them in the bowl he’d seen lying beside him when he’d first awoken. It’s not exactly a shelter, but he’s confident enough that he’ll be able to find refuge in a cave if the weather takes a sudden turn from its usual blue skies.

When he feels the familiar spike of hunger prod at his stomach, Chenle mushes the berries he’d collected into a paste of sorts, using a finger to scoop some up and insert it in his mouth. His face crumples at the sour aftertaste but he carries on. Admittedly, it’s not as terrible as it could’ve been, and in every sense he’s lucky that they were edible, but it’s be a lie to say that he was overly enthusiastic about eating more. 

He pushes the bowl aside as throws more twigs into the steady fire beside him, thinking to himself as he watches the ember crackle lively. Frying fruit was a foreign concept but there couldn’t be too many precautions – at least for safe ones. 

Chenle lies down, arms folded underneath his head, eyes looking up at the clouds above. Cloud-watching isn’t as fun without his cousins, their excited voices ringing loud and clear as they try to name the forms of whichever was closest to them, but the thought of them brings a small smile to his face.

A few minutes later a cool breeze brushes against him and before he knows it, the small face of a child blocks his view. He’s not the same one from earlier and instead of curiosity he’s met with a slight frown. 

Chenle jumps instinctively, heart hammering against his chest. As he hurries to get up, he notices the somewhat troubled expression the other boy holds. The slight furrow of his brows gives way for minor annoyance.

“Can I help you ...?” Chenle trails off.

“Are you lonely here?” The boy asks, meeting his gaze head on. It’s shy from a statement, the blunt tone catching him off-guard.

“I guess so? I can only really talk to myself, but it’s not that bad.” He finally answers. In the time that it takes the other boy to respond, he briefly wonders if odd children interrogating him are going to be a regular occurrence. 

“I see.” The boy’s frown deepens. “From now on I shall accompany you, upon my lord’s request. My name is Jin.” 

His Lord? Despite how many questions Chenle sends his way Jin doesn’t elaborate, staring at him listlessly when asked. Lord could mean anything, from royalty to a holy figure, seedlings of worry growing at the possibilities. In all the tales Uncle Luhan had told, the ones involving deities often ended in ruin and misfortune, no matter how promising the beginning seemed. 

There was always something or someone that set off the rage of the heavens, often leaving the heroes of the stories cursed beyond repair. Never in his life would he have thought that such a situation would happen to him. 

Seeing his discomfort, Jin sits down opposite him, posture straight. “I cannot talk about My Lord but I can try and answer any other questions you may have.”

Even as he says this, Jin appears a little uncomfortable. Chenle would rather not cause any disturbance to him, but if it was an order from a lord then there’s not much he can do.

“Thanks.” Chenle says experimentally, watching as Jin lets out a small sigh in return. Whatever his deal was, if he got answers he wasn’t going to question it.

🌊 

He learns that the island is called Alcaray and that its weather depends on Jin’s lord’s mood, as well as the fact that few humans ever visit it if at all. Jin has been serving his lord and the island for as long as he could remember and he carried his master’s orders without question. 

It seemed like a lonely life, one that he couldn’t envision himself enjoying at any point, although Jin seemed happy enough to serve his master without an ounce of complaint. Not that he could tell of course as Jin’s plain expression left room for nothing else aside from boredom. 

“Look.” Jin points upwards. “The bright blue means my lord is feeling calm. You’ve probably noticed already, but it rarely differs from this. His lordship doesn’t do much.”

This peaks his interest and he turns his head back to Jin with a questioning look. 

Jin meets his gaze, eyes boring into Chenle’s head-on. “I cannot say anymore than this: My Lord is unable to leave this island nor the area that surrounds it. He has divine powers but no wishes to grant, or subjects to please.” 

After he says that the pleasant blue sky slightly darkens, resulting in a more permanent frown on Jin’s face. He mutters a quick ‘excuse me’ and then his small form is gone, nothing left except two small footprints indented in the sand.

Whatever that new colour meant, the other boy was not happy about it.

Soon after Jin’s disappearance, the sky transforms into a lilac colour, one that leaves Chenle with more questions than before. What could it mean? He doesn’t get his answer and Jin doesn’t return that day, leaving him to reluctantly return back to the forest. He busies himself searching for a cave of sorts to make a shelter out of, mind eventually wandering back to Cantis. 

After what feels like hours of looking, he finally stumbles across a cave. Quite literally too. Clumsy isn’t a word he’d use to describe himself but he could’ve sworn that the tree root he’d tripped over hadn’t been there before. 

The opening of the cave is rather small compared to the one’s on his home island but they’re not so small that he can’t easily fit through it. The inside of the cave is rather dry and he sighs in relief, pressing a clammy hand against the walls in an attempt to work out how solid they were. Pleased at his new shelter, Chenle makes his way deeper into the cavern, mouth forming an ‘o’ shape when his fingers trail across a kind of paint brandished on the surface, intricate designs decorating the rock. 

They’re tiny sketches: of centaurs, dragons and other mythological creatures, and even though they were only drawings, Chenle felt as though he could sense a trace of sadness within them. The symbols continue throughout the cave until the tunnel opens up into a larger, more lit space. There are dozens of candles, their thin wicks burnt from use, and it doesn’t look like they’ve been lit in a long time. 

A sweet aroma floats around the room, engulfing Chenle in a coat of lavender. He’s not usually as fond of the scent but there’s something otherworldly about it that makes it addictive. He scans the room once more, soon realising that the scent is coming from a collection of purple incense. 

The cave seems lived in, and he briefly wonders if it was Jin’s home. At the thought of the other, Chenle finds a small part of him missing him. They hadn’t known each other for long, and it didn’t seem as if he liked Chenle, but the boy was the first person he’d spoken to in ages. 

Chenle exits the cave empty-handed, immediately dismissing the fleeting thought of taking an item from it as quickly as it came. Jin had said that his master was a rather peaceful person, but risking his life for a small trinket was the last thing he wanted. 

Instead he decides to gather up ingredients for his next meal, letting out a quiet sigh at the rumbles coming from his stomach. Wild berries weren’t going to cut it if he wanted to survive for any longer. He had to find something to sustain his growing hunger and fast. Chenle hadn’t seen any animals on the island so he ruled meat out (along with the issue of preparation), and there was also the problem with the sea as he couldn’t go close enough to catch any fish.

“What does Jin eat anyway.” Chenle mutters to himself, going to the last place he’d seen the other boy. Retracing his steps, he keeps an eye out for Jin and returns back to the coast unsuccessful.

A twig snaps behind him and a wave of relief washes over him, only to be washed away with caution when he turns around. The boy isn’t Jin but he carries the same untouchable air with him, skin pale but not in a sickly way, the type of complexion that could only come from avoiding the sun for too long. 

The two of them maintain eye contact until Chenle’s stomach rumbles again, sending him flushing. Right, food was what he had been looking for. He’d never met someone who’d taken his breath away quite like the stranger before him.

“Follow me.” The stranger says, voice mellow. There’s something hypnotic about it that knocks the words right out of his mouth and before Chenle knows it, he’s being led to a clearing he doesn’t remember visiting, jaw seconds away from dropping when he sees an infrastructure metres ahead of them. It’s the type of building you’d only hear of in fairy tales, large doors with metal gates surrounding the building’s walls. Quartz statues welcome them in, the very vision of the historical heroes Chenle had heard so much about. 

They walk in silence until the great doors swing open, introducing Chenle to the most breathtaking sight he’d see in his life, no doubt one that he’d retell tales of for decades to come regardless of who believed him.

Golden tapestries line polished marble walls, depicting dragons and chimeras no doubt aided with fantastical stories of their own, while lanterns litter the ceiling recreating the dances of fireflies, embers flickering energetically. The hall is lowly lit, but light enough so that it’s easier to follow the boy before him without too much trouble. He moves gracefully, with the elegance of a seasoned dancer with a stride only a little more refined than Jin’s own.

Gargoyles frozen in time guard each door with their mouths stretched wide, teeth baring, sending a momentary shiver up Chenle’s spine. Shifting his gaze away from the statues, he refocuses on the more civil scenery surrounding him; ancient ornaments protected by glass shields, treasure chests overflowing with gold and a large mirror encompassed in jewels that stood tall enough to touch the top of the room. 

“The kitchen is through that door with the smallest gargoyle, so you can help yourself to whatever you like in there.” The other boy smiles, gesturing towards the silver statue with a nod of his head. “If you don’t like anything then you can ring the small red bell on the table once you get inside – it’ll send someone coming to help.”

Chenle gawks at the casual tone, confused beyond his mind. Wasn’t his host, could he even call him that?, apart of some royal family of sorts? Why was he acting so lax? It was clear that he was no ordinary person, not with all the riches scattered around just begging for someone to steal them away. He had the right mind to believe that the other wouldn’t even flinch if a platinum cup was stolen from its place in a chest. 

“Thank you…”

The sky above shifts into a curious teal, clouds parting to make way for slivers of sunlight. 

🌊 

Renjun smiles into his palm as Jin enters his room. “I told you that spending time with the human would be fun.”

His servant’s eyes are fixated on the ground, head down as he bows. Jin looks as miserable as ever, although Renjun knows that it’s just a font. Despite the fact that he had created Jin, he considered the boy to be somewhat of a brother to him. 

“With all due respect, My Lord, you’re completely wrong. Why couldn’t you have just sent Ming? He keeps pestering me about it because he saw the human first.” Jin complains, all previous customs forgotten. Renjun’s smile grows, to the servant’s chagrin.

Despite the fact that he was a god, the god of the ocean more specifically, he wasn’t too caught up in formalities. It comes with the loneliness, he supposes. There wasn’t much to do on Alcaray on most days and he was certain that he’d never have any excitement if all of the servants around were monotone all the time. Hence, Jin’s colourful personality. 

Of course, there were those who couldn’t bring themselves to be casual with him, but Renjun never dipped too far into those waters. Whatever they were comfortable with, he was comfortable with. 

He’s not entirely sure of why he brought the mortal washed up on his island to his temple, skin tanned from the sun, the smell of salt water following him wherever he went. It could be down to pity, a one-sided apology of sorts. After all, the island had been made for him, but now the human had found himself stranded far away from whichever home he had come from and unable to leave. 

Ming had practically been bursting with energy when he’d told Renjun the news of the human’s arrival, although he hadn’t needed to with Renjun’s ability to keep track of all the movements on Alcaray. 

Whatever the reason, he sincerely hoped that the human wouldn’t find it in himself to hold a grudge against the god. That would make his stay more difficult due to the current situation, even if Renjun wasn’t the aggressive type. 

🏞

The sound of cupboards being swung open and fires being lit echo throughout the temple, Chenle watching in amazement as the people before him work their way around the large kitchen.

Upon entering it, Chenle had immediately felt way out of his comfort zone with how valuable everything looked, from the blue china to the range of foreign spices he couldn’t classify the names of.

Pulling the silk chain attached to the bell, a single ring had servants rushing in from a door on the other side of the room, bowing to him when they noticed his presence. 

A bowl of soup is gently placed on the table beside him, a silver spoon followed soon afterwards. A girl with short brown hair smiles gingerly at Chenle as he picks up the cutlery. “I hope it’s to your liking.” 

Once Chenle swallows his first spoonful, the servants surrounding him depart with the same polite bows and he’s left on his own. The silence is a little daunting at first, his senses already used to the clatter of pots and pans being used. His stomach rumbles, hunger momentarily forgotten in his state of wonder as he gulps down another mouthful of the food. 

It’s delicious, a gift from god compared to the wild berries he was living off of before. He makes a mental note to send thanks to whoever had led him to the temple as he digs in, if he ever gets the chance to meet him again of course.

It takes Chenle a while to leave the kitchen and he finds himself stuffed beyond relief. The same girl from before entered the room once he rang the bell again, more than happy to clean away everything despite his attempts to help her. She had ushered him out back into the main hall with astounded shock, muttering something about treating guests with proper hospitality. 

Chenle stares at the kitchen’s closed door in confusion, nearly jumping out of his skin when Jin materialises out of nothing beside him. The smaller boy holds a gold coin in his hands, an unfamiliar monarch etched onto the smooth surface. Jin greets him with a nod of his head, asking Chenle to follow him through another set of doors, this time guarded by stone snakes. 

A cool breeze dances by and it’s only then that Chenle realises that they’ve made their way outside into a garden of sorts, exotic plants and animals lazing about all over the plain. He’s long ago accepted that nothing on the island was normal (an almost supernatural barrier preventing him from leaving, children who could move through space and time effortlessly and even an imperial temple showing up out of the blue one day, as if it had always been there). 

A golden beetle scuttles near his foot, exoskeleton shining in the sun and he thinks that this place, lost in the middle of nowhere, might be akin to paradise. Red, green and orange butterflies flutter around elegantly, drawing nectar from flowers like moths to a flame. 

🌊

Renjun strokes the deer napping by his legs, brown fur soft against his fingertips. The garden had been an attempt at creating a new world, different species and creatures living together all under one sky, blissfully ignoring those who were of no threat to them. The majestic lions, coats greater than gold, wouldn’t give the weak a single glance, no matter how many times the stubborn parrots would taunt them and he liked it that way.

Among all the scenery on the island, the garden was his favourite place to be.

🌊

“My Lord has requested your presence.” Jin says simply, looking down at Chenle with a bit of disdain. Chenle brushes off the look without much thought, already used to the boy’s behaviour by now. Despite how little he liked Chenle, he wasn’t bad company and he often went along with whatever he asked.

It’s been three months since he arrived on the island, Alcaray, at least he thinks so anyway. Keeping track of time has been difficult, although Jin makes the conscious effort to update him whenever a fortnight passes. 

The only thing keeping his worries at bay had been long swept away by the relief of knowing that time didn’t flow the same way on the island as it did in the outside world. With a slightly heavy heart, he could rest well knowing that his was somewhat healthy.

Ever since his first visit at the temple, he’d been welcomed to eat there whenever he so much as wished, although Chenle still hadn’t seen Jin’s master in all his time spent there. One thing that had changed however, was the addition of another servant boy named Ming. Compared to Jin, he was a literal ray sunshine. 

Ming had come to his lord’s defence when he brought it up, hastily spluttering something about how he wasn’t actively avoiding him, although the thought hadn’t really crossed Chenle’s mind at all. He was some sort of noble, he figured, which gave more than enough sense to why they’d never met. He was probably busy with imperial affairs, something like that. 

Jin snorts. “Lord Renjun is far greater than some human noble. You couldn’t possibly imagine what he can do with his abilities.” 

Today mellow oranges stained them, small clouds disappearing and reappearing every now and then. He hasn’t seen this colour before either, praying to himself quietly as Jin leads him towards the temple. He hasn’t done anything potentially harming, or at least he hopes so. 

Ming hums thoughtfully. “You’ll be fine! He’s really nice.” 

Chenle sighs in return, watching as the boy waves as he disappears into thin air. It’s a cool trick, even if it does startle him more times than he’d like to count.

A set of golden chimeras eye them wearily as Jin knocks upon a set of dark wood doors, sharp canines glistening from the embers of the candles surrounding the hall. He swallows nervously as the two are granted entrance inside, feet feeling heavy against the floor.

🌊

He’s not sure of what comes over him, but Renjun finds himself requesting the presence of the mortal. 

Perhaps it was boredom striking him, forever in his mind, or maybe the same very guilt that had him inviting the human to his palace so many days before. It’s nothing formal, no reason to cause a concern over it, although Ming seemed to have thought otherwise. The servant had practically been buzzing around with joy, hardly trying to contain his excitement.

🌊

Chenle enters the room nervously, eyes glued to the floor. He imagines Jin rolling his own, and perhaps he does, if someone’s poorly muffled laughter is anything to go by.

“I’ve brought him like you asked.” Jin frowns, gesturing towards Chenle with his hands. “Can I go now? Sai said that the koi are reappearing in the garden and I don’t want to miss it.”

“Sure, sure. Let me know how many there are.” 

He recalls hearing the voice somewhere before, and in his recognition it takes a second longer for Chenle to register who it came from. Jin moves beside him and Chenle looks upwards, surprise taking over his features. He had seen the boy before him not long after he’d arrived on the island, the very one who’d lead him out of the cave and towards the temple, the allure finally making sense.

Jin exits the door with a rare smile, the click of the door closing silencing the room.

The boy gestures towards the cushions opposite him as if telling him to sit, and Chenle complies, awkwardly sitting on them with nothing but bad ideas on how his first and possibly last meeting was about to go. He can’t recall seeing any dungeons around the island, but if he really was a god like Jin had said, he can’t exactly rule it out.

“Do you know who I am?” The Lord asks with hints of curiosity that Chenle may or may not be imagining. Regardless of how he feels, he has no idea of who this guy is, but he seems like the type to command great amounts of worship. 

“You’re the boy from before, the one who led me here months ago.” 

“I’m Huang Renjun,” He nods, seeming pleased. “I trust that my servants have been treating you well? I know that Jin can be a little prickly, but he means well.” 

A small grin makes its way onto Chenle’s face. “He’s nice to have around. Thanks for letting me visit here, by the way. It’s a really beautiful temple.”

“It’s the least I can do, seeing as the reason you’re stranded is my fault.” Renjun frowns guiltily. “I made this island because I was bored, but I didn’t really think of what would happen if a mortal stumbled in by accident. In any case, you’ll have to stay here for a little longer. I remember Ming telling me that you’d been trying to return to your ship when you first came here, right? The shield around Alcaray only disappears once every five months, which is probably the reason you’re here right now.” 

Sometime in the future, Chenle would look back at this moment and laugh it off – the consequence of a God’s sloppy creation – but for now there’s nothing he can do except waiting it out.

Three months had already passed by in a flash, though there was no telling what was in store for the next two. 

🌊

After the heavy news is dropped on Chenle, soon followed by a series of seemingly sincere apologies on Renjun’s part — it still felt weird to refer to someone as high in status as him so casually — he gradually finds himself relaxing in the other boy’s presence. The caution he’d originally entered the room with left the same way once Renjun made it clear there weren’t any nearby threats or punishments that he could possibly be subjected to, despite his previous fears.

Chenle finds that Renjun is both similar and vastly different to what he’s used to, with his seemingly normal talents and hobbies and such, although there was still something about him that had Chenle questioning him silently in his head. The other boy appeared human enough, but the faraway look in his eyes and the behaviour of the island encouraged his theories that Renjun was not everything that he seemed to be at a first glance.

When Chenle finally feels that they’ve become at least somewhat closer, he swallows the nerves threatening to control his being and he finds the courage to finally interrogate him. 

It wasn’t hard to find Renjun, he was often only ever in two rooms in the temple, the music hall or the garden, and both of the two were fairly close to the entrance which he’d made a mental map of in his head if anything went bad during his stay. There was also the option of asking Renjun’s servants of his whereabouts, though they were pretty cautious when speaking of their master, for a reason Chenle couldn’t name. 

After his search in the former room proves fruitless Chenle makes his way into the garden, narrowly avoiding a leopard’s tale as he attempts to find his way through the wildlife. It looks wilder than it had when he’d first arrived, although it was no less beautiful than before. 

Just as he’d thought, Chenle finds Renjun lounging near the monument, back pressed against the stone while the warmth of the sun dances against him. Renjun grins as Chenle approaches, his hand raised in a wave. 

“Chenle, what’s up? You look troubled.” 

“Nothing much, I just had a few questions, that’s all.”

“I see,” Renjun replies. “What’s been on your mind?”

“... What are you? I’ve been thinking about it since I came here, but I can’t put my finger on it. Jin said that you’re better than a noble, so I thought of royalty, but that doesn’t explain why you’re in the middle of nowhere with servants who can pop in and out of thin air.”

Chenle’s question is met with nothing but a blank stare until something in Renjun clicks and he lets out an astonished laugh. “Seriously? That’s the big question?”

His laughter attracts the animals who had been grazing around them and a group of small birds perch themselves on the fountain, blinking owlishly at the two. Chenle watches the action with embarrassment. “Well, that and about the cave with all the drawings inside.”

Renjun nods, amusement winning over his attempts of sobriety. “It’s kind of obvious. I’m a god, Chenle. Of the ocean, to be more specific. The cave is a canvas of sorts, I was pretty inspired by the artwork you humans have been making over the years.”

Chenle’s words die in his throat, unable to reply. Sure, it had been a possibility that he’d considered in his head a few times, but hearing it out in the open and confirmed was a whole different story. His eyes widen, “Does that mean that you’re the water bearer from the myth then? Huang?!”

“In a way? I guess you could say that I’m a reincarnation, although I don’t have any memories of that time. In human terms, I was only ‘born’ recently, 150 years ago give or take.”

If they could, Chenle’s sure that his eyes would have bulged out of his head by now. Here he was, talking to the reincarnation of a literal legend, while the rest of the world was completely oblivious to it all. “That’s the explanation for the weather too, then? I thought you could only control what goes on in the sea.” 

“Usually that’s the case, but as you already know I made this land, so whatever happens here is up to me. It’s pretty convenient, especially when unwanted guests like Donghyuck drop by every now and then – he’s what you call a Sun god.” Renjun sighs, looking upwards. “He’s a pretty picky guy, so if the sun isn’t as bright on some days, you can blame him.”

Chenle nods in understanding. He wasn’t particularly surprised with that one, after all tales surrounding the sun were usually quite disastrous. “Cantis, the island I’m from, usually has great weather apart from the days when people decide to fly their kites.” He laughs. “I remember flying one with my cousins but the wind would never pick up strong enough.”

Renjun smiles. “That’d be Jisung. He’s still trying to get a grasp of his powers, poor guy. Wind gods aren’t reborn that often so the technique is hard to maintain, or so I’ve heard.”

“Sounds tough.” He grins. “Maybe he was trying to join in on the fun?”

The god beside him chuckles. “I don’t find that hard to believe.” Renjun gets onto his feet and suddenly grabs Chenle’s hand, taking him by complete surprise. “Do you wanna see something cooler?” There’s a twinkle in his eyes that makes it hard to say no, and Chenle briefly wonders if it has something to do with the other boy’s powers before he’s being tugged in a direction opposite the fountain and down a trail of sunflowers. 

The warmth flooding to his cheeks definitely is, he hastily summarises, ears ringing with the sound of Renjun’s melodic laughs. 

The young god brings them to a clearing filled with bright green grass, scene plain spare for a few daisies scattered around here and there. Chenle has long since stopped questioning the ‘mysterious’ pop-up locations and finds himself enjoying the sight more than he usually would. In the simplest words, it’s beautiful. 

“Keep your eyes on that patch of grass over there,” Renjun instructs, pointing to the left. “This is one of my favourites.” 

Chenle does just that, mouth opening in question when the roar of a bear vibrates through the field. In a split second the very creature appears, only instead of brown fur and sharp claws there’s solid water, air bubbles travelling from its head to its paws. Renjun lets out a whistle and the animal walks towards them, not a single trail of water on the grass underneath it. 

When it gets close enough Renjun reaches out a hand to stroke its back. “This is Mato, she’s a water spirit. You can touch her if you want,” He grins. “She doesn’t bite.”

True to his word, Mato doesn’t bite, in fact she hardly puts up a fight to Chenle’s pets at all. It’s an odd sensation, the feeling of water underneath his fingers, but he finds that he doesn’t dislike it. If anything, it calms him down. “She’s amazing.” He says in awe. 

“Mato’s like any other bear, apart from the fur and all. She has a whole family of cubs too, but they’re all in the sea right now.” Renjun tickles behind her ear. “A lot of mortals are scared of them right? You’d be surprised at how loyal they can be.”

Mato nuzzles into the god’s chest and lets out a growl-like purr, causing him to shout in delight. The scene is adorable to watch and Chenle grins at the sight, fighting the urge to laugh. 

“Oh!” The other boy says suddenly, the bear leaning into him cocking her head in confusion at his outburst. “There’s something else that I wanted to show you.” Renjun pets Mato affectionately before gently pushing her away. With a snap of his fingers the area around them changes, smooth stones replacing the grass beneath their very feet and the sound of water rippling interrupts the calm of the field. 

Straight ahead, in the place of where trees used to be, was a towering waterfall so high that it continued past the group of clouds surrounding it in a cushion of pure white. The lake surrounding it is so clear that it’s possible to see through it, all the way down to the bottom. 

“Wha-“ Chenle starts, finally realising the disappearance of the two beside him as he looks around in shock. “What is this place?”

“It’s Alcaray, of course.” Renjun chuckles, reappearing in front of him with an almost shy grin. “This is where all the other water spirits live, the ones who prefer to remain by my side. It’s the most important place on this island.”

They walk closer to the waterfall at a relaxed pace, and the closer they get the more Chenle understands about why Renjun appears to treasure it so much. Transparent whales glide through the water elegantly, smoothly moving out of the way for an energetic school of vibrant fish. Turtles swim about above and under them, shells glistening from the sunlight above. 

He’s stunned beyond belief, the breathtaking view drowning out the world around him. 

Chenle briefly acknowledges the other boy talking next to him and nods despite not knowing what Renjun was saying, earning a short snort in return. The god stops after that, letting the sound of the water crash against the rocks break the silence between them. Chenle turns his head in concern, worried that he’d offended the other boy when he feels something soft wrap around his palm.

His words get stuck in his throat when he looks downwards, the sight of the god’s hand in his own enough to stop his mind from forming coherent sentences.

Renjun’s hand is warm in his own and Chenle redirects his flustered gaze from the hold to take in the full sight of the water-show in front of him; small dolphins diving in and out of the pond, jellyfish swimming around in all their glory, and other creatures swimming about in the palm of the boy next to him.

The god grins as their eyes meet and he finds his lips upturning by themselves, a warm feeling pooling into his chest. 

However long he’d stay on Alcaray, whether it be five months or more, Chenle would cherish each and every moment like there was no tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and/or kudos are greatly appreciated <3 
> 
> you can find me [here!](https://mobile.twitter.com/jeanheir)  
> 


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